Protective and cushioning materials have a wide variety of uses in the shipping and handling of various and sundry articles and in the protection of the surfaces of such items. A particularly popular form of a protective and cushioning material is an air cellular material in which two layers of plastic film are laminated together and have a multiplicity of gas filled cavities therebetween. This air cellular material provides excellent cushioning characteristics and is relatively inexpensive.
Such air cellular material does, however, have certain deficiencies or disadvantages which limit the applicability and use thereof. One such deficiency is the surface characteristics of this air cellular material. Since the air cellular material is formed of plastic film, the surface characteristics are limited and can be considered relatively abrasive and undesirable for some uses. Also, the air cellular material is susceptible to penetration by sharp or pointed objects and to rupture of the air bubbles by those and other objects with a concomitant loss in cushioning capacity.
It has been previously proposed to improve the characteristics of such air cellular material by producing a composite material in which a third layer is combined with the air cellular material. An example of such a composite material is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,109, issued Oct. 6, 1987. The composite material disclosed in this patent includes an air cellular material to one side of which is fusion bonded a non-woven, fibrous layer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,109 clearly discloses that, to achieve such fusion bonding, i.e. heat lamination or heat sealing, the third layer must be formed of a material which is compatible with the plastic film forming the layers of the air cellular material, i.e. a polymer which can be fusion bonded to the polymer of the plastic film of the air cellular material. Specifically, this patent states that a fibrous material formed of polyethylene or polypropylene fibers would be required.
While providing certain advantages over plain air cellular material alone, this prior composite material was very limited in the surface and other characteristics which could be provided since only compatible materials could be used in forming the third layer. There is a wide variety of incompatible materials which would provide highly desirable characteristics in such a composite material which have not been used heretofore because there was no known, cost-effective way to incorporate such incompatible materials in a composite material with the air cellular material.